Core barrel drill



March 14, 1967 OXFORD ET AL 3,308,895

CORE BARREL DRILL Filed Dec. 16, 1964 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 34 2 pg L WWWd "mam,"

WW /I\// 43/ INVENTORS EDWARD F. OXFORD GERALD L. BARTON BY W L March 14, 1967 F OX D ET AL 3,308,895

CORE BARREL DRILL 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 16, 1964 FIG. 6

March 14, 1967 E. F. OXFORD ET AL 3,308,895

CORE BARREL DRILL Filed Dec. 16, 1964 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 34 5O 52 52 2 5 52 55 d a 5 1' A fl I I 5 i j FIG. 8 P P P FIG. /0

FIG. 9

INVENTORS EDWARD F OXFORD GERALD L. BARTON BY 7M United States Patent 3,308,895 CORE BARREL DRILL Edward F. Oxford, Macon, Ga., and Gerald L. Barton, Langley, S.C., assignors to J. M. Huber Corporation, Locust, NJ., a corporation of New Jersey Filed Dec. 16, 1964, Ser. No. 418,691 3 Claims. (Cl. 175-237) The present invention relates to a core barrel drill and more particularly to such a drill from which the core may be readily removed.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a core barrel drill which may be used for ordinary drilling, converted down hole to core barrel sampling and then upon removal from the hole eject the core sample by pressure means with-out disassembly of the drill.

Another object of the invention is to provide a core barrel sampler of the class described above which can be readily disassembled for repair or replacement of worn parts.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a core barrel drill of the class described above having fluid lubrication to remove the cuttings during the drilling operation.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the following specification when considered in light of the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken through the center line of the drill;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 1 with the ejection plug in place;

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 55 of FIGURE 1 looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of the alignment shoe;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the ejection plug;

FIGURE 8 is a side elevation of the core barrel bit;

FIGURE 9 is a bottom plan view of the core barrel bit; and

FIGURE 10 is a side elevation of the mounting body removed from the drill.

Referring now to the drawings in detail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally a core barrel drill constructed in accordance with the invention.

The core barrel drill 20 includes an elongated generally cylindrical outer barrel 21 having its lower end internally threaded at 22 and its upper end internally threaded at 23.

A mounting body 24 of generally cylindrical configuration is provided with an externally threaded portion 25 adapted to receive the threaded upper end 23 of the outer barrel 21. The mounting body 24 has an internally threaded axial bore 26 opening through the upper end thereof. An enlarged cylindrical chamber 27 is formed within the body 24 at the inner end of the threaded bore 26. The body 24 has an axial bore 28 extending from the chamber 27 through the lower end of the body 24. The bore 28 has an enlarged portion 29 adjacent the upper end thereof and joining the bore 28 in a shoulder 30. The bore 28 is enlarged at 31 at the juncture of the bore 28 and the chamber 27 with the enlarged portion 31 having a diameter greater than the enlarged portion 29 and joined thereto by an inwardly and downwardly tapering shoulder 32.

3,308,895 Patented Mar. 14, 1967 The body 24 has an outwardly and downwardly tapering reduced diameter section 33 extending downwardly from the threaded portion 25 as can be seen in FIG- URE 1. The body 24 has a relatively small diameter tubular extension 34 extending downwardly from the reduced diameter section 33 having its lower end externally threaded at 35.

An externally threaded generally cylindrical swivel head 36 is mounted on the tubular extension 34 by means of a pair of spaced apart roller bearings 37, 38. The roller bearings 37, 38 are sealed against dirt contamination and the swivel head 36 is detachably secured on the tubular extension 34 by means of a washer 39, nut 40 and cotter key 41.

A plurality of ports P extend downwardly and outwardly from the chamber 27 opening through the outside of the body 24 at the upper end of the reduced diameter section 33. The downwardly and outwardly tapering face of the reduced diameter section 33 deflects fluid flowing down through the ports P outwardly away from the bearings 37 and 38 assisting in maintaining the sealed relationship of the bearings 37, 38.

An inner barrel 42 is of elongated generally cylindrical form and is internally threaded at 43 for detachable threaded engagement with the external threads of the swivel head 36. The lower end of the inner barrel 42 is internally threaded at 44 as can be seen in FIGURE 1.

An alignment shoe 45 is externally threaded at 46 adjacent its upper end and is detachably connected to the lower end of the inner barrel 42. The diameter of the lower portion of the shoe 45 is the same as the diameter of the inner barrel 42 and has a plurality of guide bearings 47 integrally formed on the outer circumference thereof.

A generally cylindrical bit body 48 is provided with an externally threaded upper end portion 49 which is detaohably secured to the lower end of the outer barrel 21 as can be seen in FIGURE 1. A ring 50 is positioned within the lower end 51 of the bit body 48 and is arranged in inwardly spaced concentric relation thereto. The ring 50 has an internal diameter substantially the same as the internal diameter of the alignment shoe 45. A plurality of generally L shaped cutter supports 52 are welded to the lower end 51 of the bit body 48 in depending relation thereto with their inner edges welded to the ring 50 as can be seen in FIGURE 1. A cutter blade 53 is welded to each of the cutter supports 52 and is arranged with a lower cutting edge 54 positioned approximately along the radius of the bit body 48 as can be seen in FIGURE 9. An outer upright cutting edge 55 is formed on each of the cutter blades 53 and an inner cutting edge 56 is also formed on each of the cutter blades 53.

The reference numeral 57 indicates generally an ejec tion plug having a substantially cylindrical body 58 externally threaded at 59. The body 58 has a reduced diameter extension 60 with a diameter slightly less than the enlarged portion 31 of the bore 28. A further reduced diameter portion 61 is integrally joined to the reduced diameter extension 60 by a tapering shoulder 62.

A bore 63 extends axially through the plug 57 and has an enlarged diameter upper end section 64 internally threaded at 65. The plug 57 is adapted to be positioned within the body 24 with the threads 59 in engagement with the threads 26 as can be seen in FIGURE 2. In this position the tapered shoulder 62 comes into sealing engagement with the inwardly and downwardly tapering shoulder 32 of the bore 28.

A. vent port 66 extends from the bore 28 outwardly to the outer surface of the body 24 for purposes to be explained. A steel valve ball 67 is adapted to be positioned Within the enlarged portion 31 of bore 28 in engagement 3 with the shoulder 32 as can be seen in FIGURESI and 4 for reasons to be explained.

In the use and operation of the invention the body 24 is normally threaded onto the lower end of a sectional hollow drill stern (not shown) by means of the threads 26 and with the cutter blades 53 in engagement with the ground the core barrel drill 20 is rotated in the normal manner of drilling. Neither the ejection plug 57 nor the steel ball 67 are in place during initial drilling and a current of water is pumped down through the hollow drill stem and passes downwardly through the bore 28 and the ports P and outwardly around the cutters 53 and up the outside of the core barrel drill 20 carrying the cuttings to the surface. Drilling is continued in the normal manner until a deposit is reached from which a core is desired. Upon reaching this deposit the steel ball 67 is dropped through the hollow drill stem into the position shown in FIGURE 1 cutting off the flow of water through the bore 28. Rotation of the core barrel 20 is continued with the water flowing downwardly through the ports P between the outer barrel 21 and the inner barrel 42. The inner barrel 42 remains stationary while coring and the body 24 rotates with respect to the inner barrel 42 through the bearings 37, 38. The guide bearings 47 on the alignment shoe 45 maintain the inner barrel 42 in aligned spaced relation to the outer barrel 21 and the bit body 48.

The core drilling is continued until the bit has moved downwardly a distance equal to the inner length of the inner barrel 42 with the core moving upwardly into the inner barrel 42 during this operation. The air vent 66 permits the escape of air from the inner barrel 42 while the core is moving into the inner barrel 42. The core barrel drill 20 is then removed from the hole and the mounting body 24 is disconnected from the drill stern and inverted to discharge the steel ball 67 from its sealing position. The ejection plug 57 is then threaded into the position shown in FIGURE 2 and the threaded portion 65 thereof is connected to a source of Water under pressure. The ejection plug 57 directs the water through the bore 28 to eject the core from the inner barrel 42.,

The vent 66 is too small to permit the escape of the water under pressure so that the core is ejected without difficulty. Upon ejection of the core the ejection plug 57 is removed from the body 24 and the core barrel drill 20 is immediately ready for further drilling.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention it should be understood that numerous structural modifications and adaptations may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

We claim: 1. A core barrel drill comprising a mounting body having an axial bore opening through the upper end thereof,

an extension integrally formed on the lower end of said body and having an axial bore extending therethrough communicating with the axial bore in said mounting body, a cylindrical outer barrel detachably secured at its upper end to said mounting body and having its lower end open, a cylindrical bit detachably secured to the lower end of said outer barrel, an inner barrel having its lower end open, said inner barrel positioned concentric of said outer barrel in spaced relation thereto, means securing said inner barrel to said extension for relative rotation therebetween, said inner barrel having its lower end adjacent to but slightly spaced from said bit, a shoulder formed in the upper end portion of the bore in said extension, said body having a plurality of ports extending downwardly and outwardly from the axial bore in said body through the side of said body terminating at a position communicating with the space between said outer barrel and said inner barrel and being adapted to direct water under pressure from the axial bore in said body into the space between said outer barrel and said inner barrel, the axial bore in said extension communicating the axial bore in said body with the interior of said inner barrel and being adapted to direct water under pressure from the axial bore in said body into said inner barrel, and detachable means for engagement with said shoulder for selectively closing the ports and the axial bore in said extension.

2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said body is provided with a vent bore extending from a point communicating with said inner barrel to atmosphere.

3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the means securing said inner barrel to said extension includes a pair of vertically spaced bearings.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 18,500 6/1932 Stone 175237 X 1,867,720 7/1932 Wellensiek 175 239 X 2,490,512 12/1949 Deely l239 2,658,726 11/1953 Stokes 237 X 2,671,642 3/1954 Stokes 175-237 X 2,713,473 7/1955 Talbot 175237 2,915,127 12/1959 Abendroth 175237 CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

I R. E. FAVREAU, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A CORE BARREL DRILL COMPRISING A MOUNTING BODY HAVING AN AXIAL BORE OPENING THROUGH THE UPPER END THEREOF, AN EXTENSION INTEGRALLY FORMED ON THE LOWER END OF SAID BODY AND HAVING AN AXIAL BORE EXTENDING THERETHROUGH COMMUNICATING WITH THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID MOUNTING BODY, A CYLINDRICAL OUTER BARREL DETACHABLY SECURED AT ITS UPPER END TO SAID MOUNTING BODY AND HAVING ITS LOWER END OPEN, A CYLINDRICAL BIT DETACHABLY SECURED TO THE LOWER END OF SAID OUTER BARREL, AN INNER BARREL HAVING ITS LOWER END OPEN, SAID INNER BARREL POSITIONED CONCENTRIC OF SAID OUTER BARREL IN SPACED RELATION THERETO, MEANS SECURING SAID INNER BARREL TO SAID EXTENSION FOR RELATIVE ROTATION THEREBETWEEN, SAID INNER BARREL HAVING ITS LOWER END ADJACENT TO BUT SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM SAID BIT, A SHOULDER FORMED IN THE UPPER END PORTION OF THE BORE IN SAID EXTENSION, SAID BODY HAVING A PLURALITY OF PORTS EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FROM THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID BODY THROUGH THE SIDE OF SAID BODY TERMINATING AT A POSITION COMMUNICATING WITH THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTER BARREL AND SAID INNER BARREL AND BEING ADAPTED TO DIRECT WATER UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID BODY INTO THE SPACE BETWEEN SAID OUTER BARREL AND SAID INNER BARREL, THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID EXTENSION COMMUNICATING THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID BODY WITH THE INTERIOR OF SAID INNER BARREL AND BEING ADAPTED TO DIRECT WATER UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID BODY INTO SAID INNER BARREL, AND DETACHABLE MEANS FOR ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SHOULDER FOR SELECTIVELY CLOSING THE PORTS AND THE AXIAL BORE IN SAID EXTENSION. 